Consultancy: Develop Publication on Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) in Zimbabwe at Local NGO – Harare
Employer: Local NGO | Location: Harare | Category: NGO, Social Services & Non-Profit
Job Description
1. Background
A human rights organisation seeks to engage a suitably qualified and experienced consultant to undertake legal research and develop a comprehensive publication examining the use of Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) in Zimbabwe, particularly within the context of environmental protection, natural resource governance and environmental and climate justice.
SLAPPs generally refer to civil or criminal legal proceedings instituted or pursued primarily to intimidate, silence or discourage individuals and organisations from exercising their rights to public participation, freedom of expression and access to justice on matters of public interest. Such proceedings may have significant implications for environmental human rights defenders, affected communities, civil society organisations and other actors seeking accountability for environmental harm.
The proposed publication will critically examine the nature, use and implications of SLAPPs in Zimbabwe, drawing primarily on domestic legislation, jurisprudence and relevant public interest litigation. Regional and international legal standards and comparative jurisprudence will be considered to inform the analysis and identify lessons applicable to Zimbabwe.
The publication is intended to contribute to legal scholarship, inform strategic litigation and advocacy, and identify opportunities for strengthening the capacity of judicial officers and legal practitioners to recognise and effectively address SLAPPs, particularly in environmental and climate justice matters.
2. Purpose of the Consultancy
The consultancy seeks to produce a comprehensive, analytically rigorous and evidence-based legal publication examining the use of SLAPPs in Zimbabwe, with particular emphasis on their implications for environmental and climate justice, the protection of environmental human rights defenders, access to justice and the administration of justice.
The publication should further identify existing legal and institutional gaps within Zimbabwe’s legal framework and propose practical recommendations for strengthening judicial and legal practitioner capacity to recognise, prevent and respond to SLAPPs.
Duties and Responsibilities
TERMS OF REFERENCE
4. Scope of Work
The consultant will be expected to undertake comprehensive legal research and analysis covering the following areas:
4.1 Conceptual and Legal Understanding of SLAPPs
Examine the concept, nature and defining characteristics of SLAPPs, including their use as instruments of intimidation, judicial harassment and the suppression of public participation in matters concerning environmental protection, natural resource governance and climate justice. The analysis should further consider the use of criminal proceedings and the abuse of prosecutorial power as potential mechanisms for intimidating, harassing or silencing environmental human rights defenders and other public interest actors.
4.2 Legal and Institutional Frameworks
Analyse Zimbabwe's constitutional, legislative and institutional frameworks governing freedom of expression, public participation, access to justice, environmental rights and the protection of human rights defenders. The analysis should identify existing legal safeguards, procedural mechanisms and gaps in addressing SLAPPs within the domestic legal system.
4.3 Jurisprudential Analysis
Conduct a critical examination of relevant Zimbabwean jurisprudence and case studies, including cases litigated by human rights organisations and other public interest actors, and the initiation or pursuit of criminal proceedings and potential abuse of prosecutorial power, to assess how judicial processes have been used, or potentially misused, to discourage environmental advocacy, public interest litigation and the exercise of constitutionally protected rights. The analysis should distinguish established instances of SLAPPs from other forms of litigation or judicial harassment that may exhibit similar characteristics.
4.4 Regional and International Comparative Perspectives
Examine relevant African regional and international human rights standards, jurisprudence and comparative approaches to preventing and addressing SLAPPs, identifying emerging principles, good practices and lessons applicable to Zimbabwe.
4.5 Implications for Access to Justice and Environmental Rights
Assess the implications of SLAPPs for the administration of justice, judicial independence, access to effective remedies and the ability of environmental human rights defenders, communities and civil society organisations to participate meaningfully in environmental decision-making.
4.6 Judicial and Legal Practitioner Capacitation
Identify knowledge and capacity gaps among judicial officers and legal practitioners in recognising, adjudicating and responding to SLAPPs. The publication should consider opportunities for targeted judicial education, continuing legal education, professional training and the development of appropriate legal and procedural safeguards.
4.7 Recommendations
Develop practical, evidence-based recommendations for strengthening Zimbabwe’s legal and institutional responses to SLAPPs, including recommendations directed at the judiciary, legal practitioners, policymakers, civil society organisations and other relevant stakeholders.
5. Methodology and Publication Framework
The consultant will be expected to employ a rigorous legal research methodology, incorporating desk-based research, a detailed analysis of Zimbabwean legislation and jurisprudence, case studies drawn from Zimbabwean legal proceedings, and a targeted review of relevant regional and international comparative legal standards and practices. The methodology must examine criminal proceedings as possible mechanisms for suppressing public participation, including the conduct and duration of proceedings and their effects on affected persons. It must also examine how legal processes operate in practice, distinguishing formal legal safeguards from their implementation and assessing whether procedural practices may have a chilling effect on environmental advocacy and other public interest activities. Findings should be grounded in verifiable court records, case materials and other credible evidence.
Guidance on the overall thematic focus, scope and proposed structure of the publication will be provided by the commissioning organisation. Notwithstanding this guidance, applicants are expected to demonstrate their independent understanding of the assignment by submitting a preliminary proposed publication framework as part of their expression of interest. The framework should outline the envisaged structure, key thematic areas, research questions and relevant Zimbabwean case studies, criminal proceedings, practical operation of legal processes, and legal and jurisprudential issues to be examined, together with any proposed comparative perspectives
The successful consultant will subsequently be required to develop and refine this framework within the inception report, taking into account guidance and feedback provided by the commissioning organisation.
6. Expected Deliverables
The consultant will be required to produce the following deliverables:
6.1 Inception Report
An inception report outlining the proposed research methodology, detailed publication framework, key research questions, relevant Zimbabwean case studies, criminal proceedings, practical legal-process evidence, legal and jurisprudential sources, proposed comparative materials , incorporating guidance from the commissioning organisation.
6.2 Draft Publication
A comprehensive draft publication presenting the legal and jurisprudential analysis of SLAPPs in Zimbabwe, incorporating relevant domestic case law, supporting regional and international comparative perspectives, identified gaps and practical recommendations.
6.3 Final Publication
A final, thoroughly researched, referenced and professionally written publication incorporating feedback received from the commissioning organisation and suitable for publication and dissemination. All deliverables shall be submitted electronically in editable Microsoft Word format, together with relevant supporting references and research materials as may be reasonably required.
7. Supervision and Collaboration
The consultant will undertake the assignment under the overall supervision and guidance of the commissioning organisation.
• The commissioning organisation will provide strategic and technical guidance on the scope, thematic priorities and proposed framework of the publication and will review and provide feedback on all deliverables.
• The consultant will be expected to maintain regular communication with the designated focal person, participate in scheduled consultations or review meetings, and incorporate feedback within agreed timelines.
• All deliverables will be subject to review and approval by the commissioning organisation. Submission of a deliverable shall not, in itself, constitute acceptance until the commissioning organisation has confirmed that the agreed requirements and quality standards have been met.
• The consultant shall remain responsible for the quality, accuracy, originality and timely completion of the assignment.
9. Intellectual Property, Ownership and Originality of Work
All research outputs, drafts, reports, manuscripts and other materials produced specifically under this consultancy shall be the exclusive property of the commissioning organisation, subject to any pre-existing third-party intellectual property rights.
The commissioning organisation shall retain full ownership and publication rights over the final publication, including the rights to reproduce, distribute, adapt and disseminate the publication in accordance with the terms of the consultancy agreement.
The consultant shall not publish, reproduce, distribute or otherwise use the commissioned materials for purposes outside the assignment without prior written authorisation from the commissioning organisation.
All work submitted under this consultancy must be original and independently researched and written by the consultant. The consultant is expected to exercise independent intellectual and professional judgment throughout the assignment, without reliance on generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools for the research, drafting, analysis or substantive editing of the publication and associated deliverables.
The consultant shall ensure that all sources, authorities and references are accurately cited and that the publication is free from plagiarism, fabrication, misrepresentation and other forms of academic or professional misconduct.
Any breach of these requirements may constitute grounds for rejection of deliverables or termination of the consultancy agreement, subject to its terms.
A human rights organisation seeks to engage a suitably qualified and experienced consultant to undertake legal research and develop a comprehensive publication examining the use of Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) in Zimbabwe, particularly within the context of environmental protection, natural resource governance and environmental and climate justice.
SLAPPs generally refer to civil or criminal legal proceedings instituted or pursued primarily to intimidate, silence or discourage individuals and organisations from exercising their rights to public participation, freedom of expression and access to justice on matters of public interest. Such proceedings may have significant implications for environmental human rights defenders, affected communities, civil society organisations and other actors seeking accountability for environmental harm.
The proposed publication will critically examine the nature, use and implications of SLAPPs in Zimbabwe, drawing primarily on domestic legislation, jurisprudence and relevant public interest litigation. Regional and international legal standards and comparative jurisprudence will be considered to inform the analysis and identify lessons applicable to Zimbabwe.
The publication is intended to contribute to legal scholarship, inform strategic litigation and advocacy, and identify opportunities for strengthening the capacity of judicial officers and legal practitioners to recognise and effectively address SLAPPs, particularly in environmental and climate justice matters.
2. Purpose of the Consultancy
The consultancy seeks to produce a comprehensive, analytically rigorous and evidence-based legal publication examining the use of SLAPPs in Zimbabwe, with particular emphasis on their implications for environmental and climate justice, the protection of environmental human rights defenders, access to justice and the administration of justice.
The publication should further identify existing legal and institutional gaps within Zimbabwe’s legal framework and propose practical recommendations for strengthening judicial and legal practitioner capacity to recognise, prevent and respond to SLAPPs.
Duties and Responsibilities
TERMS OF REFERENCE
4. Scope of Work
The consultant will be expected to undertake comprehensive legal research and analysis covering the following areas:
4.1 Conceptual and Legal Understanding of SLAPPs
Examine the concept, nature and defining characteristics of SLAPPs, including their use as instruments of intimidation, judicial harassment and the suppression of public participation in matters concerning environmental protection, natural resource governance and climate justice. The analysis should further consider the use of criminal proceedings and the abuse of prosecutorial power as potential mechanisms for intimidating, harassing or silencing environmental human rights defenders and other public interest actors.
4.2 Legal and Institutional Frameworks
Analyse Zimbabwe's constitutional, legislative and institutional frameworks governing freedom of expression, public participation, access to justice, environmental rights and the protection of human rights defenders. The analysis should identify existing legal safeguards, procedural mechanisms and gaps in addressing SLAPPs within the domestic legal system.
4.3 Jurisprudential Analysis
Conduct a critical examination of relevant Zimbabwean jurisprudence and case studies, including cases litigated by human rights organisations and other public interest actors, and the initiation or pursuit of criminal proceedings and potential abuse of prosecutorial power, to assess how judicial processes have been used, or potentially misused, to discourage environmental advocacy, public interest litigation and the exercise of constitutionally protected rights. The analysis should distinguish established instances of SLAPPs from other forms of litigation or judicial harassment that may exhibit similar characteristics.
4.4 Regional and International Comparative Perspectives
Examine relevant African regional and international human rights standards, jurisprudence and comparative approaches to preventing and addressing SLAPPs, identifying emerging principles, good practices and lessons applicable to Zimbabwe.
4.5 Implications for Access to Justice and Environmental Rights
Assess the implications of SLAPPs for the administration of justice, judicial independence, access to effective remedies and the ability of environmental human rights defenders, communities and civil society organisations to participate meaningfully in environmental decision-making.
4.6 Judicial and Legal Practitioner Capacitation
Identify knowledge and capacity gaps among judicial officers and legal practitioners in recognising, adjudicating and responding to SLAPPs. The publication should consider opportunities for targeted judicial education, continuing legal education, professional training and the development of appropriate legal and procedural safeguards.
4.7 Recommendations
Develop practical, evidence-based recommendations for strengthening Zimbabwe’s legal and institutional responses to SLAPPs, including recommendations directed at the judiciary, legal practitioners, policymakers, civil society organisations and other relevant stakeholders.
5. Methodology and Publication Framework
The consultant will be expected to employ a rigorous legal research methodology, incorporating desk-based research, a detailed analysis of Zimbabwean legislation and jurisprudence, case studies drawn from Zimbabwean legal proceedings, and a targeted review of relevant regional and international comparative legal standards and practices. The methodology must examine criminal proceedings as possible mechanisms for suppressing public participation, including the conduct and duration of proceedings and their effects on affected persons. It must also examine how legal processes operate in practice, distinguishing formal legal safeguards from their implementation and assessing whether procedural practices may have a chilling effect on environmental advocacy and other public interest activities. Findings should be grounded in verifiable court records, case materials and other credible evidence.
Guidance on the overall thematic focus, scope and proposed structure of the publication will be provided by the commissioning organisation. Notwithstanding this guidance, applicants are expected to demonstrate their independent understanding of the assignment by submitting a preliminary proposed publication framework as part of their expression of interest. The framework should outline the envisaged structure, key thematic areas, research questions and relevant Zimbabwean case studies, criminal proceedings, practical operation of legal processes, and legal and jurisprudential issues to be examined, together with any proposed comparative perspectives
The successful consultant will subsequently be required to develop and refine this framework within the inception report, taking into account guidance and feedback provided by the commissioning organisation.
6. Expected Deliverables
The consultant will be required to produce the following deliverables:
6.1 Inception Report
An inception report outlining the proposed research methodology, detailed publication framework, key research questions, relevant Zimbabwean case studies, criminal proceedings, practical legal-process evidence, legal and jurisprudential sources, proposed comparative materials , incorporating guidance from the commissioning organisation.
6.2 Draft Publication
A comprehensive draft publication presenting the legal and jurisprudential analysis of SLAPPs in Zimbabwe, incorporating relevant domestic case law, supporting regional and international comparative perspectives, identified gaps and practical recommendations.
6.3 Final Publication
A final, thoroughly researched, referenced and professionally written publication incorporating feedback received from the commissioning organisation and suitable for publication and dissemination. All deliverables shall be submitted electronically in editable Microsoft Word format, together with relevant supporting references and research materials as may be reasonably required.
7. Supervision and Collaboration
The consultant will undertake the assignment under the overall supervision and guidance of the commissioning organisation.
• The commissioning organisation will provide strategic and technical guidance on the scope, thematic priorities and proposed framework of the publication and will review and provide feedback on all deliverables.
• The consultant will be expected to maintain regular communication with the designated focal person, participate in scheduled consultations or review meetings, and incorporate feedback within agreed timelines.
• All deliverables will be subject to review and approval by the commissioning organisation. Submission of a deliverable shall not, in itself, constitute acceptance until the commissioning organisation has confirmed that the agreed requirements and quality standards have been met.
• The consultant shall remain responsible for the quality, accuracy, originality and timely completion of the assignment.
9. Intellectual Property, Ownership and Originality of Work
All research outputs, drafts, reports, manuscripts and other materials produced specifically under this consultancy shall be the exclusive property of the commissioning organisation, subject to any pre-existing third-party intellectual property rights.
The commissioning organisation shall retain full ownership and publication rights over the final publication, including the rights to reproduce, distribute, adapt and disseminate the publication in accordance with the terms of the consultancy agreement.
The consultant shall not publish, reproduce, distribute or otherwise use the commissioned materials for purposes outside the assignment without prior written authorisation from the commissioning organisation.
All work submitted under this consultancy must be original and independently researched and written by the consultant. The consultant is expected to exercise independent intellectual and professional judgment throughout the assignment, without reliance on generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools for the research, drafting, analysis or substantive editing of the publication and associated deliverables.
The consultant shall ensure that all sources, authorities and references are accurately cited and that the publication is free from plagiarism, fabrication, misrepresentation and other forms of academic or professional misconduct.
Any breach of these requirements may constitute grounds for rejection of deliverables or termination of the consultancy agreement, subject to its terms.
Requirements & Qualifications
- An advanced university degree in Law, preferably with specialisation in Environmental Law, Human Rights Law, Constitutional Law or a closely related discipline.
- Demonstrable expertise and substantial professional experience in environmental and climate justice, human rights law, public interest litigation or related fields.
- Strong knowledge of Zimbabwean constitutional and environmental law and jurisprudence, with familiarity with relevant regional and international legal frameworks.
- Proven experience in conducting legal research and producing high-quality analytical publications, policy papers or scholarly legal writing.
- Sound understanding of the legal and practical challenges confronting environmental human rights defenders, including judicial harassment, reprisals and restrictions on public participation.
- Familiarity with African regional and international human rights standards and comparative jurisprudence relating to SLAPPs will be an added advantage.
- Excellent legal analytical, research and writing skills, with the ability to translate complex legal issues into accessible, practical and evidence-based recommendations.
- Demonstrable expertise and substantial professional experience in environmental and climate justice, human rights law, public interest litigation or related fields.
- Strong knowledge of Zimbabwean constitutional and environmental law and jurisprudence, with familiarity with relevant regional and international legal frameworks.
- Proven experience in conducting legal research and producing high-quality analytical publications, policy papers or scholarly legal writing.
- Sound understanding of the legal and practical challenges confronting environmental human rights defenders, including judicial harassment, reprisals and restrictions on public participation.
- Familiarity with African regional and international human rights standards and comparative jurisprudence relating to SLAPPs will be an added advantage.
- Excellent legal analytical, research and writing skills, with the ability to translate complex legal issues into accessible, practical and evidence-based recommendations.
Browse All Zimbabwe Job Categories | Free Zimbabwe ATS CV Generator